Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)

City Policy Against Discrimination on the Basis of Disability

The City of Richmond does not discriminate on the basis of disability in the admissions or access to its programs, services or activities, or employment.

Public Comment and Grievance Procedures

The City of Richmond has recently completed its Draft ADA Transition Plan. The plan is the blueprint through which the City has committed to making all of its programs, services, activities, and facilities fully compliant with the provisions of the ADA. The City invites all citizens to review the plan and to provide comments on it prior to it being presented to the City Council for formal adoption.

The City has adopted and published a formal grievance procedure providing for prompt and equitable resolution of complaints alleging any action that would be prohibited by Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Complaints of alleged noncompliance and grievances concerning emergency preparedness planning and recovery, or requests to receive a copy of the City's ADA Policy, should be directed to Bruce Soublet,Senior Assistant City Attorney/ ADA Coordinator at 510-620-6509, or Kim Greer, Risk Manager at 510-620-6605.

Accommodation Requests

The City of Richmond desires to ensure that members of the public with disabilities are provided with the necessary aids to enable them to communicate as effectively as those without disabilities and to participate in City programs and use City facilities. The City of Richmond will provide appropriate auxiliary aids and services whenever necessary for those individuals who have hearing, sight or speech impairments, unless to do so would result in a fundamental alteration of its programs or an undue administrative or financial burden. No surcharge will be placed on a particular individual with a disability or any group of individuals with disabilities to cover the cost of providing these auxiliary aids/services or reasonable accommodations. The City will give consideration to the requests of the individual with a disability in determining what type of auxiliary aid or service is necessary in order to facilitate the full and complete participation of the individual with a disability.

A person who requires an accommodation, an auxiliary aid or service to participate in a City program, service, or activity, or who requests a modification of policies or procedures, should contact the sponsoring department as far in advance as possible, but no later than three business days before the scheduled event. The best effort to fulfill the request will be made.

Other Accessibility Issues

In order to provide the greatest opportunity for persons with disabilities to have their needs met, several actions may be initiated by them. By following the established procedures and completing the identified forms, individuals will have specific issues addressed in a timely manner.

ADA-Related Improvements

The City has recently performed ADA-related improvements to several of its park facilities. These include a new pedestrian bridge at Booker T. Anderson park; a new ramp into the engineered wood fiber playground at Lucas park; a new ramp and upgraded bathroom facilities at Elm play lot; a new entrance and picnic table at Solano play lot.